Peat machine



Feb. 27, 1934. A. DoERlNG PEA-T MACHINE Filed July 21, 1932 5 Sheets-Sheet l l /.erf .5o er1/ng.

A. DOERING Feb. 27, 1934.

PEAT MACHINE Filed July 21, 1932 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 mm w w m m BMM@ AQ DOERING PEAT MACHINE Feb. 27, 1934.

Filed July 2l, 1932 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 www;

Feb. 27, 1934. A, DOERING 1,949,146

PEAT MACHINE Filed July 21, 1932 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 Feb., 27, H934., A. DOERING. E,949,l46

FEAT MACHINE Filed July 21, 1932 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 El? Eil- Patented Feb. 27, 1934 UNITED STATES FIC 18 Claims.

My invention relates to machines for forming peat blocks and it particularly has for an object to provide a machine for digging peat, cutting it into blocks, compressing the blocks and then de- I livering the compressed blocks from the machine.

Further, it is an object to provide a peat machine having a columnar upright digging bucket that is forced vertically downwardly into the peat l bed and elevated with a contained column of peat, slicing the column into blocks, removing the slices from the bucket and delivering them into a press where they are compressed and moisture expelled and from which the compressed blocks are ejected onto an offtake conveyor which delivers them from the machine.

Further, it is an object to provide such a peat machine as can be manufactured at a low cost, will be strong and of long life, with little or no maintenance expense, and one which will operate at a relatively rapid speed thereby to give a large output per unit of time.

Other objects will in part be obvious and in part be pointed out hereinafter.

To the attainment of the aforesaid objects and ends, my invention consists in the novel features oi construction, combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter more fully described and then specifically pointed out in the appended claims.

Figure 1 is a plan view of the machine.

Figure 2 is a left side elevation thereof.

Figure 3 is a right side elevation thereof.

Figure 4 is a vertical longitudinal section on the line 4 4 of Figure 1, with the slicer in the bucket.

Figure 5 is a detail central vertical longitudinal section showing a part of the bucket, the slicer and the press with the press open in full lines and closed in dotted lines.

Figure 6 is a horizontal section on the line 6-6 of Figure 2.

Figure 7 is a perspective View of the digging bucket.

Figure 8 is a perspective view of the slicer blade.

Figure 9 is a detail elevation of the automatic clutch shifter lever.

Figure 10 is a diagrammatic perspective view of the automatic slicing mechanism clutch actuating means.

Figure 11 is a plan view of the press box.

Figure 12 is a rear elevation of the same.

Figure 13 is a front elevation of the same.

Figure 14 is a horizontal section on the line 55. 14-14 of Figure 12.

Figure 15 is a vertical section on the line 15-15 of Figure 13.

In the drawings, in which like numerals of reference designate like parts in all of the iigures, the base frame 2 of the machine is shown mounted on wheels 1 so that the machine may be moved laterally over the ground from position to position. Projecting upwardly from the base frame 1 are iront and rear standards 3 and 4, respectively, which are connected by side angle irons 5, whose horizontal iianges 6 extend in parallelism and spaced apart to constitute slideways for the slicer carriage bar 59.

Other side braces 7, diagonal brace bars 8 and cross braces 22 are provided to give proper rigidity to the frame structure.

The front uprights or standards 3 have flanges which cooperate with bars 9 to compose slideways for the columnar digging bucket 18.

Extending from the upper end oi the standards 3 are frame sides 10 which are connected by a cross bar 11, while other trame sides 12 extend forwardly from the lower portions of the standards 3 and are cross-braced by a bar 13.

Journalled in bearings in the frame sides 10 is a shaft 14 which has a pulley 15, there being a second shaft 16 with pulley 17 journalled in bearings in the lower extension 12.

The digging bucket 18 has four corner angles, two of which are angled outwardly to constitute guide flanges 21 for riding in the ways 3--9.

The lower edge 19 of the columnar bucket 18 serves as a penetrating edge to enter the peat bed easily. A gate-plate or cutoii slide 20 operates at the cutting or penetrating end of the bucket to hold the column of peat in the bucket while the bucket is being raised. This slide is operated through suitable pull cables 98 and 99 to advance and retract it, or is operated in any other suitable way.

Mounted on the upper cross brace 22 is a sheave block 23 having two pulleys or sheaves 24--25 for the bucket lowering and raising cables. Journalled in suitable bearings in the frame is a bucket-lowering shaft 26 which has a winding drum portion 27 and carries a sprocket 28. A cable 29 is secured to the frame 27 and passes over the sheaves 24, the pulleys 15 and 17, and is secured at 30 to the top of the bucket 18. Another cable 34 is secured at 35 to the top of the bucket and passes over the sheave 23 and is wound onto the drum 32 of the bucket-elevating shaft 31 that is also journalled in suitable bearings in the drum. The shaft 31 has a sprocket 33.

The sprockets 28 and 33 are driven by chains G and 38, respectively, which take over sprockets 39 and 37, respectively, on the main drive shaft 36. The sprockets 39 and 37 are loose on the shaft 36 and have clutch faces 43 and 42, respectively, to cooperate with the clutch ngers e5 45 on the collars 44 that are pinned to the shaft 36. rllie iingers i5- e6 are operate by a clutch shifter which comprises an element 47 shift-able along the shaft 36 and connected to 'the respective sets of fingers 45 and 46 by the links 48. The element 47 is moved from position to position b means of a lever e9 that is pivoted at 59 and is also provided with a hand control 5l. An automatic shifting lever 52 is also provided, the same being fulcrurned at 53 and pivoted at 51.1. to the hand control 5l and lever 49.

The lever 52 has an arm 55 that is contacted by the upper shifting ringer 56 and the lower shifting nger 57 on the bucket when the bucket reaches the limits of its movements downwardly and upwardly.

The chain 38 is tensioned by an adjustable guide 58. (39 may be similarly tensioned, irdesired.)

A slicer carriage bar 59 slides bodily back and forth in the guides formed by the franges 6-3 and is caused so to slide by means of a slicer operating shaft 60 which has a sprocket 6l over which and over sprocket 62 on shaft 3l, a driving chain 63 is passed. The shaft 6G has cranks e connected by rods 65 with the bar o9.

The shaft 60 also carries a sprocket 66 over which and over a sprocket 67 on the o take con-- veyor shaft 68, a chain 69 is passed.

The conveyor comprises a belt of parallel chains 69 with cross bar slats 70, the belt chains passing over sprockets 7l on shaft GS and sprockets 72 on an idler shaft 73 that is carried by an extension of the frame.

The slicer proper consists of a blade 74 whose front edge is sharp, The plate or blade 74 is provided with a central longitudinal iiange 75 and side flanges 76 so as to cut the slices into two strip-like portions. The plate 74 has rocking bearings 77 on the bar 59 so that it is free to rock on a horizontal axis, the purpose for which will presently appear. It is also provided with guide rollers 78 and flanges 78a to cooperate with fixed track cams 79 on the bars 5 for the purpose of causing the blade 74 to rock with its penetrating edge downwardly as it is about to enter the colmnn of peat in the bucket and to raise the said end with the column of peat as the blade becomes inserted therein.

The saddles 77 are sufjciently elongated (i. e., provided with play) so that on the forward niction of the slicer, the rollers 78 may ride up along the top of the inclined tracks 79 and when the high end of the tracks 79 has been passed the slide will drop enough (see full lines, Figure 5) to allow the rollers 78 to pass under the high end of the tracks 79 on the return stroke of the slicer. it being understood that the peat column is moving upwardly while the parts move from the position shown in Figure e to the position shown in Figure 5.

From the blade 74 the blocks are delivered to the press where moisture is squeezed out and the peat is compressed into a solid mass.

The press comprises a U-shaped support is secured to a cross bar 80 of the rrame, in which support two pairs of vertical winglates 82 are pivoted on vertical axes 83. Between the plates of a pair are located yieldable press plates carried by rods 86 held in bearings in the subframe and in the advanced position by spring tensions 87.

l"erve to keep the wing plates with wider apart than their rear i t the plates 85 for the purpose of comessing the peat into relatively dense blocks.

i signates the movable platten bar which f 1 :s or wlwels 89 to run on inclined tracks I on the main frame of the machine.

lates 94 recede to form with the wings receive the peat strips from the Operation Now, when it is desired to operations the attendant pulls the hand r 51 tc throw the clutch of the bucket lowermechanism into engagement so that rotation of tire power si "E (which is accomplished in Lb au any desiree manner from a suitable prime mover) causes the bucket to be forced. downwardly into the peat bed to the desired depth, thereby cutting a column oi peat. It is to be understood that during the downward movement of the bucket the gate 20 is pulled out. This may be accomplished by any suitable means as, for example, a cable 98. After the bucket has been forced downwardly into the ground to the desired depth, the gate 25 is closed and this may be eiected in any suitable manner, as, for example, by means of a pull cable 99.

lt should be stated that in the course of lowering the bucket into the peat bed when the bucket shall have reached approximately its lowest position the member' 56 on the bucket will engage the rocking lever 55 and throw the clutch of the bucket lowering mechanism out of engagement cr to what is hereinafter termed the neutral position. This consequently stops the lowering of the bucket. bucket having been lowered to its desired position and the gate 20 having closed the operator then pushes the lever 5l inwardly to bring the clutch which operates the bucket raising mechanism into action. Since the er and pressing mechanisms and the offtake conveyor mechanism are all driven from the bucket elevating drum shaft 31 the throwing of the clutch to set the bucket elevating mechanism into operation also effects thestarting of the slieer mechanism, the press mechanism and the orf-take conveyor'. The slicer, in moving into the column or peat, as indicated in Figure 4, (from riit to left) is caused to cut a slice 01T from the top of the column, this slice being divided into two by the central partition 75.

@n return movement the slice is carried along in the slicer and pushed back when the next ice is cut, iinally being pushed off of the rear end or" the slicer to drop into the platten (see Figure 5). This action occurs as the slicer moves from right to left from the position in Figure 4 to the extreme left of its movement. As the slicer reaches the position shown in Figure 4, the member 97 will have engaged the member 92 and the pull through the links 91 will draw back the ejector plate 94 so as to form with the wings 93 troughs for the reception of the split slices as they fall from the rear end of the slicer (see Figure 5). The position of the slicer and the platten in Figure 5 is that which it assumes as it reaches the limit of its stroke to the left in Figures 4 and 5. Just prior to having reached the limit of its stroke the rollers 78 will have left the cam tracks 79 and dropped downwardly to go under those tracks on the return stroke.

It is to be understood that as the slicer enters the column of peat that column is moving upwardly with the result that the forward end of the slicer will be held from dropping when the rear end drops as the rollers 78 leave the cam tracks 79 to cause the slicer to assume the position shown in Figure 5. Now, on the return stroke of the slicer from left to right in Figures 4 and 5, the platen will carry the deposited slices over against the xed member of the press between the pairs of wing plates 82 forcing back the resiliently yieldable press plates 85 to squeeze the moisture out of the peat and compress its mass. As the platten forces the peat into the fixed member cf the press the movable base 92 and its wings 93 will be retarded so that they will assume, with relation to the ejector plates 94, the position shown in full lines in Figure 4, or in dotted lines in Figure 5.

As the platten recedes from the fixed member of the press on the next stroke of the slicer the yieldable press plates 85 will serve as ejectors to eject the compressed blocks from the xed member of the press and permit them to drop onto the slats 70 of the oiftake conveyor by which they are delivered from the machine thus completing one cycle of operation.

As soon as the column of peat within the bucket shall have been sliced, i. e., as soon as the bucket shall have reached the limit of its upward movement, the member 57 will engage the lever 55 and automatically rock the clutch shifting bar to restore the clutch to neutral, thereby stopping the operation of the machine. The machine is then moved along the track for a distance sufficient to bring the bucket over an uncut area of peat bed whereupon the operation of lowering the bucket is again undertaken and the next cycle of the machine thus started.

From the foregoing, taking in connection with the accompanying drawings, it is thought that the entire construction, operation and advantages of my invention will be clear to those skilled in the art, and while I have illustrated a practical embodiment of my invention it is obvious that changes in the design and mechanical details of the machine can readily be made without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the appended claims.

In order that the slicing mechanism shall not operate until the peat columnar has reached the slicing position, a finger 109 is positioned on the digging bucket so that the slicer will not be operating until the peat is in position. This finger 109 strikes a ange 100 attached integrally to a lever 101 which has on its opposite end a flange 102 bent in the reverse. direction to flange 100. This flange 100 depresses one leg of a bell crank lever 103 which in turn is attached to a connecting rod 104 which operates a shiftable clutch fork 105 for the purpose of throwing the slicing mechanism into operation.

The lever 101 is pivoted on a bracket 106 and is spring held at 107 against the bell crank 103. This is so the finger when going down will depress the lever 101 without any effect and the lever 101 will spring back to operating position. A handle 108 is attached to the connecting rod so that the clutch mechanism is reset and in neutral position but ready to be set in operation by the ringer 109 coming up and contacting with it.

What I claim is:

1. In peat machines, a carriage including a frame, a bucket guide on the frame, a columnar bucket vertically movable in the guide and having a peat-bed-penetrating lower end, a power shaft, means operable from said power shaft for raising and lowering said bucket, said means including raising and lowering shafts with operating connections to the bucket, power transmitting connections between said power shaft and said raising and lowering shafts, said power transmitting connections including separate clutch devices for the raising and lowering shafts, a clutch shifter, and means operable by the bucket as it arrives at the extremes of its desired movements for automatically moving said clutch shifter into a neutral position.

2. In peat machines, a carriage including a frame, a bucket guide on the frame, a columnar bucket vertically movable in the guide and having a peat-bed-penetrating lower end, a power shaft, means operable from said power shaft for raising and lowering said bucket, a peat block press carried by the frame, and a block slicer carried by the frame cooperative with the bucket and press for slicing blocks from the column of peat in the bucket and delivering same to the press, means to operate said slicer and said press, and means to deliver the pressed blocks from the machine.

3. In peat machines, a carriage including a frame, a bucket guide on the frame, a columnar bucket vertically movable in the guide and having a peat-bed-penetrating lower end, a power shaft, means operable from said power shaft for raising and lowering said bucket, said means including raising and lowering shafts with operating connections to the bucket and power transmitting connections between said power shaft and said raising and lowering shafts, a peat block press carried by the frame, and a block slicer carried by the frame cooperative with the bucket and press for slicing blocks from the column of peat in the bucket and delivering same to the press, means to operate said slicer and said press, and means to deliver the pressed blocks from the machine,

4. In peat machines, a carriage including a frame, a bucket guide on the frame, a columnar bucket vertically movable in the guide and having a peat-bed-penetrating lower end, a power shaft, means operable from said power shaft for raising and lowering said bucket, said means including raising and lowering shafts with operating connections to the bucket, power transmitting connections between said power shaft and said raising and lowering shafts, said po-Wer transmitting connections including separate clutch devices for the raising and lowering shafts, a clutch shifter', means operable by the bucket as it arrives at the extremes of its desired movements for automatically moving said clutch shifter into a neutral position, a peat block press carried by the frame, and a block slicer carried by the frame cooperative with the bucket and press for slicing blocks from the column of peat in the bucket and delivering the same to the press, means to operate said slicer and said press, and means to deliver the pressed blocks from the machine.

5. In peat machines, a carriage including a frame, a bucket guide on the frame, a columnar bucket vertically movable in the guide and having a peat-bed-penetrating lower end, a power shaft, means operable from said power shaft for raising and lowering the bucket, a peat block press carried by the frame, a block slicer carried by the frame cooperative with the bucket and press for slicing blocks from the column of peat in the bucket and delivering same to the press, means to operate said slicer and said press, means to deliver the pressed biocks from the machine, said slicer comprising a horizontal blade member and a carriage for reciprocating it between the bucket and the press.

6. In peat machines, a carriage including a frame, a bucket guide on the frame, a columnar bucket vertically movable in the guide and having a peat-bed-penetrating lower end, a power shaft, means operable from said power shaft for raising and lowering said bucket, a peat block press carried by the frame, a block slicer carried by the frame cooperative with the bucket and press for slicing blocks from the column of peat in the bucket and delivering same to the press, means to operate said slicer and said press, means to deliver the pressed blocks from the machine, said slicer comprising a horizontal blade member and a carriage for reciprocating it between the bucket and the press, said press comprising a Xedly located body and a yielding presser plate, and a p platten movable toward and from said body.

7. In peat machines, a carriage including a frame, a bucket guide on the frame, a columnar bucket vertically movable in the guide and having a peat-bed-penetrating lower end, a power shaft, means operable from said power shaft for raising and lowering the said bucket, a peat block press carried by the frame, a block slicer carried by the frame cooperative with the bucket and press for slicing blocks from the column or" peat in the bucket and delivering saine to the press, means to operate said slicer and said press, means to deliver the pressed blocks from the machine, said slicer comprising a horizontal blade member and a carriage for reciprocating it between the bucket and the press, said press comprising a fixedly located body having a yieldable presser plate, and a platten movable toward and from said body, said platten comprising a trough-like element having a movable bottom and iixed flanges on three sides, and means to eject the pressed blocks onto the delivery means.

8. In peat machines, a carriage including a frame, a bucket guide on the frame, a columnar bucket vertically movable in the guide and hava peat-bed-penetrating lower end, a power shaft, a peat block press carried by the frame, a block slicer carried by the frame cooperating with the bucket and press to slice blocks from the column of peat in the bucket while the bucket is being raised and to deliver the slices to the press, means to operate the slicer and the press, and means to deliver the pressed blocks from the machine.

9. In peat machines, a carriage including a frame, a bucket guide on the frame, a columnar bucket vertically movable in the guide and having a peat-bed-penetrating lower end, a power shaft, a peat block press carried by the frame, a block slicer carried by the frame cooperating with the bucket and press to slice blocks from the column of peat in the bucket while the bucket is being raised and to deliver the slices to the press, means to operate the slicer and the press, means to deliver the pressed blocks from the machine, said slicer comprising a horizontal blade member and a carriage for reciprocating it between the bucket and the press.

1D. In peat machines, a carriage including a frame, a bucket guide on the frame, a columnar bucket vertically movable in the guide and having a peat-bed-penetrating lower end, a power shaft, a peat block press carried by the frame, a block slicer carried by the frame cooperating with the bucket and press to slice blocks from the column of peat in the bucket while the bucket is being raised and to deliver the slices to the press, means to operate the slicer and the press, means to deliver the pressed blocks from the machine, and means to rock said slicer on a horizontal axis as it slices a block from the column in the bucket to compensate for the lifting movement of the bucket.

1l. In peat machines, a carriage including a frame, a bucket guide on the frame, a columnar bucket vertically movable in the guide and having a peat--bed-penetrating lower` end, a power shaft, means operable from said power shaft for raising and lowering said bucket, a peat block press carried by the frame, a block slicer carried by the frame cooperative with the bucket and press for slicing blocks from the column of peat in the bucket and delivering saine to the press, means to operate said slicer and said press, means to deliver the pressed blocks from the machine, said slicer comprising a horizontal blade member and a carriage for reciprocating it between the bucket and the press, said slicer blade being mounted on said carriage to rock on a horizontal and means on said frame and blade to rock said blade as it is reciprocated.

l2. In peat machines, a carriage including a frame, a bucket guide on the frame, a columnar bucket vertically movable in the guide and having a peat-bed-penetrating lower end, a power shaft, a peat block press carried by the frame, a block slicer carried by the frame cooperating with the bucket and press to slice blocks from the column of peat in the bucket while the bucket is being raised and to deliver the slices to the press, means to operate the slicer and the press, means to deliver the pressed blocks from the machine, a gate plate mounted on the lower end of the bucket, and means to operate same to hold the contained column of peat in the bucket while the bucket is being elevated.

13. In a peat machine, means for cutting a column of peat and lifting it from the peat bed, means to slice the column transversely into slices, means to press the slices into blocks, said slicing means being arranged to deliver its slices to said means-to-press, and means to eject the pressed blocks from the press, and deliver same from the machine.

14. In a peat machine, means for cutting a column of peat and lifting it from the peat bed, means to slice the column transversely into slices as the column is being raised, means to press the slices into blocks, said slicing means being arranged to deliver its slices to said means-topress, and means to eject the pressed blocks from the press and deliver same from the machine.

15. In a peat machine, means for cutting a column of peat and lifting it from the peat bed, means to slice the column transversely into slices as the column is being raised, means to press the slices into blocks, said slicing means being arranged to deliver its slices to said meansto-press, means to eject the pressed blocks from the press and deliver same trom the machine, said slicing means comprising a horizontally reciprocating blade, and said means-to-press comprising a press whose pressing faces lie in approximately vertical positions.

16. In a peat machine, means for cutting a column of peat and lifting it from the peat bed, means to slice the column transversely into slices as the column is being raised, means to press the slices into blocks, said slicing means being arranged to deliver its slices to said means-topress, means to eject the pressed blocks from the means-to-press and deliver the same from the machine, and means to arrest the movement of the column cutting and elevating means at the extremes of its desired range of movement.

17. In a peat machine, means for cutting a column of peat and lifting it from the peat bed, means to slice the column transversely into slices as the column is being raised, means to press the slices into blocks, said slicing means being arranged to deliver its slices to said means-to-press,

means to eject the pressed blocks from the meansto-press and deliver the same from the machine, said slicing means comprising a horizontally reciprocating blade and said means-to-press comprising a press whose pressing faces lie in approximately vertical positions, and means to arrest the movement of the column cutting and lifting means at the extremes of its desired range of movement.

18. In peat machines, a carriage including a frame, a bucket guide on the frame, a columnar bucket vertically movable in the guide and having a peat-bed-penetrating lower end, a power shaft, means operable from said power shaft for raising and lowering said bucket, a peat block press carried by the frame, and a block Slicer carried by the frame cooperative with the bucket and press for slicing blocks from the column of peat in the bucket and delivering same' to the press, means to operate said slicer and said press, means for throwing said slicer operating means out of action and means operated by the movement of the bucket for throwing the slicer operating means into action again as soon as the bucket has been raised suiiiciently to bring the peat into proper position with respect to the slicer, and means to deliver the pressed blocks from the machine.

ALBERT DOERING. 

